Mon Sep 18, 2017 The Cabot Projection
I've added a new projection to map-projections.net… No, sorry, I added a very old projection. It is the Cabot projection created in 1544 by Sebastian Cabot, son of the Venetian explorer Giovanni Caboto (engl. John Cabot).
And that’s pretty much all I know about this projection. I could add thatit has an aspect ratio of 1:1.33, which is is rarely seen these days. But above all, that I like it quite well! I like its peculiar shape.
What I don’t like so much is the aspect ratio and the resulting vertical stretch of the middle latitudes. Fortunately, both shortcomings can be resolved by a simple modification: I have simply stretched the projection horizontally, and after a few attempts I decided to use a factor of 1.35, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of about 1:1.8. The equatorial regions are still stretched a little bit, but on the whole this result seemed more beautiful than, for example, at a ratio of 1:2.
And although the world certainly doesn’t need any further
pseudocylindrical projections, I couldn’t resist the
temptation to add this modification to the website as well. Of
course I would have liked to call this variant Cabot-Jung… ;-)
But honestly, in my opinion a simple stretch doesn’t
reach the necessary threshold of originality to give
the design my own name. So it is simply listed under the
name Cabot modified.
Finally, I would like to present a reproduction of the original map of 1544. Interestingly, it is stretched vertically even more, its aspect ratio is about 1:1.27 – no idea how to explain it.
Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA.Map reproduction courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library [ Source ]
Comments
One comment
Peter Denner
A standard parallel of 75 degrees for the equirectangular projection would give an aspect ratio of 1.26, so that could be where the approximately 1.27 comes from.
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Tobias Jung
I don’t know how it’s constructed. Using the average of Apian II and the equirectangular projection, I couldn’t get an exact match so far, but it’s really close. Well spotted! :-)
Peter Denner
Tobias Jung
They match exactly.
Peter Denner